Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-09

George presents q prospectus OF his new party. In
his opinion the old organizations are dead mas
much as In recent struggles there has been no
principle which could be stated as test question
between them, and the contests have been fought
merely on questions Of personal character; and
consequently there is not only favorable oppor-
tunity but a necessity for new issues and new
parties. The organization which according to Mr..
Georges prophetic vision will control the future Is
the labor party, rallying about a banner on which
n Inscribed: mo taxes but q tax On land values
Irrespective OF Improvements Away with the in
aividual ownership Of land!" Mr.. George aflrms
that the land question Is "the same thing" as the
labor question. The fate of his new party will de-
pendupon the extent TO (Which this bold statement
Is accepted and approved. The relations OF labor
and capital are somewhat strained; wrong, injus-
tice and suffering are frequently developed from
existing conditions and relations Of men, and the
army Of the disconnected grows numerous and
strong. But is It possible to gather all the SOL
diers under a single banner? How many Of the
host OF Discontinued have each a panacea for the
general woe TO which they are as thoroughly COM
Tnitted as to the fact Of discomfort itself? Mr..
George thinks that the fatal weakness OF labor
movements In the past has been that they could
formulate no large vital issue upon which they
could agree. Prohibition, he thinks, Is not a SUI
nciently wide and deep issue. The Union Labor
party "with self-appointed representatives of all
him as one Of those attempts to manufacture a
political party which are "foredoomed to
failure" The question is, whether men
viii surrender their own "crotchets" and
admit that Mr.. Georges hobby OF curing aIlrlls
by abolishing ultimately the individual owner
ship Of land Is the only remedy proposed for ex-
listing evils which Is not crOtchety. Will those who
think that he goes too far, and those who think
that he does not go far enough, and those who,
Cd viii
that he is on the track altogether, combine under
his leadership VIII not the man who sees the
source OF all our woes in the evils Of our present
transportation system, or the man who yearnS to
appropriate by exclusive taxation, or In any way
which may be convenient and effective, the mil
NOnaire'S wealth in stocks and bonds as well as
his profits IN the increase of land values, stig-
Matte Mr.. Georges pet remedy Of abOliShing In
dividual ownership In land as a CROCHET, and
pronounce any effort to relieve existing
discontentS In manner not conforming
TO his views to be siforedoomed to failure?
And will the mass Of people, without rival rene
dies TO suggest, consent to deprive themselves of
the right of Individual ownership, even in land9
Mr. Georges new party Is certain to cut an tmpor-
tant figure In the next presidential election, but
whether any great body Of men will accept per-
Inanently snd In sincerity his teachings In polit-
cal economy; or whether, II they should rally
nominally to the support Of his principles, they
would enforce them when successful with the
same show OF harmony that defeat permits by
avoiding the necessary consequences OF practical
enforcement, are questions more difficult to
answer. According to the public response 1t will
be determined whether the George land theory
shall amount at most to more than a convenient
raly1ng cry for the discontinued, serviceable only
In defeat, and abandoned as tmpraeticable If vic.
tory follows